"REJOICING THROUGH ANXIETY"
 
Just recently I made contact via e-mail with a soldier that I served
with in Lenggries, Germany,  back in 1945.  We reminded each other of
some things we witnessed with the Second Calvary, and at war's end,
reorganized Second Constabulary.  Some of the worst stories of human
brutality in history came our of Hitler's concentration  camps in World
War 11.  I have a very close friend, about ten years my senior,  who
took me to see one of the camps in Munich.  As we stood there, he said,
an I will never forget this:  "Moore, don't forget this - hundred of
thousands of people died here from starvation - execution in some form."
Hundred of thousands; while in reality during Hitler's reign over five
million people died in one of his many camps.
 
I don't know of anyone who has endured something so inhuman as those who
suffered the Holocaust in Hitler's death camps.  Even our trial and
temptations - our environment, however harsh and hurting, does not have
to be decisive in the kind of person you are and the kind or response
you choose.  But they can teach us something - that while we cannot
choose our circumstances,  we can choose our attitude in the midst of
those circumstances.
 
In Philippians 4, beginning with verse 4, Paul says from his prison
cell,  "Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice."  Someone
said: "What we need to do is set aside one day a year for complaining
and 364 days to be thankful.  For sure, true Christian rejoicing helps
us face the ups and downs of life.   Paul also said, verse 11,  "..I
have learned in, whatever state I am, in this be content.  This has to
be Paul's ultimate secret of being on top, no matter what the anxiety.
We Christians can be a blessing too friends and loved ones, but we must
move out of "Our Comfort Zone." Let Paul's words in verse 13 encourage
us:  "I can do all things through Christ, who give me strength."
 
Let this following paragraph speak to each of us in closing:
      So, how you handle what you don't like is the difference between
peace and frustration, between contentment and anger, between joy and
discouragement. It's all about what you dwell on, not what you're going
through. If you dwell on what's beautiful, if you dwell on what God is
doing, or how you can lift up other people, you could be unsinkable no
matter how many icebergs there are. For as one man said, "To those who
look for providences, there will always be a providence to see." So
choose joy!   {From Ron's devotion}
 
><)))>  In "HIS" Service
Bro. Roy